Water-heater construction.



c. A. BACKSTROM.- WATER HEATER CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. I4. I9I5 1,246,521.

Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

MII',

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. EAcKs'rEoiyr,` or cEAEToN, PENNSYLVANIA, AssIGNoE fro. EITTSBUEG WATEE HEATER COMPANY, OEPIT'rsEUEGH, 1?ENNsYnvANIA,l A coEroEAfrroN or NEW JERSEY.vv

WATER-HEATER CONSTRUCTION.

PatentefiNov. ie, 1917.

Application nl edrDeeember 14, 1915. Serial No. 66,7552.

T0 all lwlwm it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. BACK?. sTRoir, a citizen of the United btates, residing at Grafton, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in laterTI-Ieater (Jonstructions,V of which the following is a specification.

rlfheinvention relates to water heaters. It has for its primary objects the improvement of the construction shown in my pending application, Serial N o. 13,401 filed August 3, 1915, to permit the more ready removal of the gas valve and to permit such removal without disturbing the adjustment of the thermostatic mechanism. One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- The figure is a partial section and partial side elevation illustrating the invention.

The apparatus as illustrated is intended to be used with an instantaneous water heater, but only so much of the water heater structure is illustrated as is necessary to show the use ot' the construction constituting the invention. The rest of the water heater structurg is illustrated more fully in my pending application heretofore referred to.

In the drawings, 1 is the usual water valve having an inlet (not shown) and an outlet 2 leading to the water heater, the water valve being supported upon the body of the heater by means of the bracket 3. The water valve contains the usual piston having a stein adapted to engage the disk 4 on the stem 5, the parts being held in the position illustrated by means of the spring 6 when no water is flowing. Vhen the outlet from the heater is opened the water piston moves down compressing the spring 6 and moving the stem 5 down to open the gas valve hereinafter described.

7 is the gas valve casing having an inlet 8 and an outlet 9 communicating with the pipe 10 by means of a passage running along the side of the casing and indicated in dotted lines. In the lower portion of the casing is a thermostatic multiplying` device comprising the levers 11 and 12 and the Connecting bar 13, the levers being pivoted at the points 14 and 15 upon the supporting frame 16. A spring 17 serves to move the lever 12 upward when the pressure from the thermostat is released." The ther:

mostat comprises all'exraasbl 11110.51@

extending into the heater and having its right hand end, which is not shown, free to move to the right as the temperature ofthe water of the heater rises. VThe expansion of the tube 13 permits the .porcelain rod 19 and the block and pin 2Q and 2 1 to move to the right, thus permitting the springv 17 to give the lever 12 its closing movement.

The frame 16 carrying the multiplying device is adjustable by means ot' the plug 22 screwed into the removable cap plate 23, the frame 16 being held against the plug by means of the lstud 2i and nut 25. A cap 26 serves to cover the parts 22 and 25. The thermostatic mechanism, including the multiplying device, is shown and claimed in any application referred to, and no .claim to this particular mechanism is made in this application. The upper portion ofthe casing is Yprovided with an opening, which is closed by means of the bonnet 27 screwed into position and provided at its upper end with the stuiiing box 28 through which the stem V5 extends. Below the bonnetis a valve seat member 29 also screwed into position in the casing and provided with upwardly extending wings 30 carrying Vthe disk 31 upon which is mounted a spring 32. Below the valve seat is a downwardly opening valve 33 provided with a cap 34 and carrying a spring 35. Bearing against the spring 35 is the stem 36 which has pinned to its upper end the disk 37, the spring 32 being under compression and holding the valve up against its seat when the stem 36 is out of engagement with the stem 5.

vWhen the outlet from the heater is opened and the water in the heater is below a predetermined temperature, the downward movement of thestem 5 causes the opening of the gas valve to permit a iiow of gas from the inlet 8 to the outlet 9. In case the water rises above the predetermined temperature, the expansion of the tube 18 to the right releases the levers from the pressure of the rod 21, so that the spring 17 can move the lever 12 upward to close the gas valve 33. Because of the slip connection between the valve and stem and the relatively light spring 35, this closing movement can occur even though the stem 36 is held in its lower position by the stem 5. When the outlet from the heater' is closed,the spring `(i causes to a minimum. Gther advantages incident the stem 5 to move up so that the spring 32 is permitted to close the gas valve lvy invention consists particularly in the arrangement whichI permits of the removalVV oi' the gas valve seat and gas valve for replacement or repair and their return without interfering with the adjustment of the thermostatic mechanism. rhis result can be accomplished since the openingsecured by removing the bonnet 27 is of such size as to permit the upward-removal of the gas valve seat member and the parts carried thereby. The bonnet is readily unscrewed, a wrench engaging surface being provided at 39, and the bonnet can then be slid upward over the stem 5. A wrench engaging surface is also provided at 40 on the disk 3l which is integral with the seat member 29 so that the seat member can be easily unscrewed and removed, carrying with it the valve and its stem. This constitutes an improvement over the construction of my application heretofore referred to, wherein it was necessary to remove the valve and valve seat from beneath through the opening covered by the cap plate corresponding` to the cap plate 23, and this procedure required the removal of the thermostatic multiplying mechanism in the casing beneath the valve, so that 'when the parts were replaced a readjustment throughout was necessary. The cap plate 9.3 gives access to the multiplying device without interference with the valve or valve seat, so that by the use of the two openings into the valve casing with their removable closures all of the parts contained in the casing are readily accessible without interference with 'other parts, and the work of adjustment and repairs is simplied and reduced Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latencs,V

to the construction will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art., Y

l. Ina water' heater construction, the combination ywith a casing provided with an inlet and an outlet and having an opening in lits upper portion and carrying a thermou static mechanismpin its lower portion, of a downwardlyopening'valve between the inlety and outlet and above the thermostatic mechn anism7 an upwardly extending stem carried bythe valve, a valve seat releasably vheld in position in the casing and removable upward with lthe valve through said openinor in the f casing, a spring carried' by the seat and pressing the valve stem upward to cause engagement between the valve and seat, a removable bonnet ior closing the vopening in the casing, and a stem slidably mounted in the bonnet and adapted to engage Vthe valve stem,.the said valve being moved by the thermostatie mechanism, but removable` upwardly without interference therefrom.

2. In a water heater provided with a gas burner, a casino having an opening in its upper portion, a valve seat member releasably secured in the casing opposi te said opening and removable therethrough, a downwardly opening gas valve seating against the lower face of the valve seat member and 'freely removable from above through saidl Washington, D. C. 

